The present invention is in the field of amusement rides, attractions and devices. In particular, the present invention is in the field of amusement rides, attractions and devices comprising a modified vehicle, machine, vessel, container or platform.
Amusement parks and theme parks continuously face challenges attracting return visitors and new visitors. Past visitors may not elect to return, and potential new visitors may not elect to travel to a park that, in their opinion, does not regularly offer guest experience components that are new, innovative or different relative to those of other parks. To be successful, parks need to regularly introduce new, innovative and fun guest experiences. An objective of this invention is to provide an amusement ride, attraction or device that is new, innovative and fun and different relative to prior art attractions.
An additional objective of the present invention is to provide an amusement ride, attraction or device that is sufficiently mobile to be transported (including by any truck, tractor or other vehicle, machine, vessel or container, or any combination thereof) such as for use in or by a temporary or traveling carnival or amusement event or location, or at any other temporary location such as a parking area or common area of a commercial (e.g., office, warehouse or mixed-use), retail (e.g., mall or other shopping center) or institutional (e.g., governments, school hospital, heath care, etc.) property, such as for a temporary amusement attraction as part of a gathering, party, fundraiser or other event.
Similar machines may be similarly modified according to the present invention for use as an amusement ride, attraction or device.
Accordingly, embodiments herein illustrate the principles, preferred or example embodiments, and modes of assembly and operation, of the invention; however, the invention is not, and shall not be construed as being exclusive or limited to the specific or particular embodiments herein. Moreover, certain specific or particular embodiments herein have been expressly designated optional, and thus the invention includes the invention with, or without, any or all embodiments herein expressly designated as optional. Accordingly, all embodiments herein should be regarded as illustrative rather than exclusive or limiting, and variations to embodiments herein may be made without departing from the invention scope.
This invention is useful, to an amusement park or a theme park that wishes to offer this invention as an amusement ride, attraction or device or in or by a temporary or traveling use, as noted above, because prior art amusement rides, attractions and devices have not focused on invention of a modified trailer or similar machine operated for amusement. The embodiments of the present invention make reference to several vehicles or machines in the prior art. The features of some representatives of such vehicles or machines are given as following.
Reference to prior art may be made for embodiments in the present invention that constitute a dump trailer or a trailer. Trailers are typically wheeled containers pulled by a truck tractor. A truck tractor is a highway vehicle, capable of being driven with or without a trailer attached, which is typically a two- or three-axle chassis with driver's cab, engine, drivetrain and trailer hitch and other trailer connectors. The trailer is the container structure supported by the trailer frame, which is supported by the axle, wheel and tire assemblies. The trailer container is sometimes referred to as the trailer's “body” or “bed” and is attached to and above the trailer's frame.
Types of trailers include open-top, dry-freight trailers, the design of which may include aluminum sides supported by interior posts made of aluminum, fiberglass-reinforced plywood or other material, and enclosed containers, which may be used in intermodal transportation, e.g., railway or waterway transportation before or after highway transportation. A type of open-top trailer is a dump trailer.
A dump trailer has one end or side that can be raised and lowered, and an opposing end or side with a gate or other device that can be raised, lowered or otherwise opened and closed to permit dumping of the body's load. A dump trailer is capable of dumping the container contents, typically by elevating or pivoting one end or side of the container to allow the container load to flow out of the container through a gate or similar structure or device at the opposing end, by gravity alone or aided by an optional vibrator. A dump trailer may be used to haul bulk materials, commodities or products, such as dirt, sand, gravel, rock, salt, trash, debris, refuse, scrap, by-products and raw, agricultural, mining, transportation, construction, paving or other materials, etc.
Reference to prior art may be made for embodiments that constitute a dump truck. A dump truck is typically a truck with an open-top body used to haul bulk materials, commodities or products, such as dirt, sand, gravel, rock, salt, trash, debris, refuse, scrap, by-products and raw, agricultural, mining, transportation, construction, paving or other materials, etc. Typically, the body is hinged, can be raised or lowered by hydraulic cylinder, is equipped with a tail gate or other device that can be raised, lowered or otherwise opened and closed, typically by hydraulic cylinder, to permit dumping of the load by gravity flow or mechanically-assisted means from the body through the body's open/deployed tail gate opening.
Reference to prior art may be made for embodiments that constitute a load-carrying platform. Load-carrying platforms are typically transportable. Transportable, load-carrying platforms may be a flat rack logistics platform suitable for transportation of non-containerized items or may have mounted on the base at least one support frame that may be adjusted to different positions. Transportable load-carrying platforms may be used to support shipping of heavy or irregularly-shaped cargo that is not containerized, i.e., cargo that is not loaded into a shipping container.
Although the appearance, utility, and modes of operation of above-referenced vehicles or machines may be of interest to many people, especially to children, they are generally not suitable as an amusement, entertainment or educational experience in an amusement park or similar setting, without modification for compliance with applicable regulatory and safety requirements. Thus, one of the objectives of the present invention is to address these limitations of these vehicles and machines in prior art so as to create the opportunity for riders to enjoy and experience these vehicles and machines in a fun, safe and exciting manner, as an amusement, entertainment and educational experience in an amusement park or similar setting.
Reference to prior art may be made for embodiments that constitute a passenger seating system and a passenger restraint system as illustrated herein or for embodiments that constitute alternatives to such embodiments including such embodiments as illustrated herein. For example, alternative passenger seating systems may include alternative seating arrangements, systems or methods or alternative means of passenger seating system fabrication, assembly or installation. Additionally, in lieu of seating, alternative passenger support systems include horizontal, vertical or angled poles, columns or similar devices or structures, with or without fixed or flexible hand grips, wrist straps or similar devices or structures, to enable standing passengers to generally stabilize their balance and their position in the passenger containment or compartment section. Additionally, in lieu of the passenger restraint system as illustrated herein, an alternative passenger restraint system may include an alternative harness to the five-point harness illustrated herein or an alternative type of harness, seatbelt, lap bar, shoulder restraint, torso restraint, or any other type of restraining device or system.
Reference to prior art may be made for embodiments that constitute various hydraulic control systems or components thereof, which include a pump, valve or similar or related devices, to deliver a source of pressurized fluid to a fluid-operable actuating or load-sustaining telescoping hydraulic cylinder or similar or related devices.